The invention relates to a hinge with adjusting devices, in which a hinge arm can be secured to a base plate by an intermediate member. The hinge arm is displaceable in the direction of the depth of an article of furniture, and is connected to a second hinge fastening part, for example a hinge cup, by an articulated lever of the like. The hinge arm has holes through which adjusting and/or securing means project. It is possible to hang the intermediate member, which is of U-shaped construction and laterally embraces the base plate with two lateral webs, into the base plate and to lock it by a spring mechanism mounted on the intermediate member. A disk with a preferably circular contour is rotatably mounted in the hinge arm, the disk having on its upper side a seat for an adjusting tool, preferably a crosstie screwdriver, and on its lower side an adjusting mechanism in the form of a cam which cooperates with the intermediate member to enable, by rotation, adjustment of the hinge arm. A hinge of this type is known from WO 86/02402.
Generally, a hinge arm has been secured on a base plate by a clamping screw. In order for an adjustment of the hinge arm in the direction of the depth of the article of furniture to be possible, this clamping screw has projected through an elongated hole in the hinge arm. The possibility for adjusting the hinge arm in the direction of the depth of the article of furniture has been determined by the length of this elongated hole.
Also known are snap connections for securing a hinge arm to a base plate. For example, DE-A 30 26 796 and DE-A 30 39 328 each disclose a hinge with a hinge arm and a base plate in which the two parts to be locked to one another snap into one another owing to insertion of the hinge arm into a guide of the base plate and displacement of the hinge arm in the longitudinal direction. DE-A 32 41 284 discloses a hinge in which a hinge arm can be pushed into lateral guides of a base plate and can be clamped on the base plate by means of an eccentric.
The hinges described above have the advantage that the hinge arm can be anchored on the base plate very quickly during assembly of the article of furniture and that, it is not necessary to use a tool for such mounting A disadvantage of these hinges in which the hinge arm or an intermediate member can be pushed onto the base plate from the front is that canting easily occurs. This is the case particularly with very high doors. Mounting is made even more difficult with a high door by the fact that more than two hinges are secured to the door.
In the case of a hinge of the type mentioned above, it is sufficient to press the hinge arm with the intermediate member onto the base plate during the mounting of the door. It is not necessary to use a screwdriver for securing the hinge arm. WO 86/02402 describes various hinges. In the case of the hinge which has, for adjustment of the hinge arm, a disk with an eccentric which enables a jerky adjustment, the hinge arm with the intermediate member is held on the base plate by a leaf spring. In order to be able to detach the hinge arm from the base plate, a screwdriver or a similar tool is required.
The same publication also discloses exemplary embodiments of a hinge arm in which a separate tilting lever is articulated on an intermediate member and is in turn acted upon by Spring. This tilting lever has a gripping part which enables separation of the hinge arm from the base plate without tools. If, in the case of this type of hinge, the position of the hinge arm on the base plate is to be corrected, a clamping screw must be released and the hinge arm subsequently displaced by hand. Since a hinge cup is anchored in the door during this adjustment, jerky movements very easily occur during the displacement of the hinge arm owing to the weight of the door, which makes it difficult to position the hinge arm precisely. Apart from the fact that the hinge arm can be detached from the base plate without tools by means of the separate tilting lever, this tilting lever has the advantage over a leaf spring of more precise anchoring in the locked position.